#upwith

Book reviews can help us decide whether we would like to read a particular book. I hope you too can gain something from reading my reviews.

MY REVIEW:

“Well, that was interesting.

After the first 10 pages, I swear I was reading my biography. The amount of similarities between Ilana and I were staggering.

A premature twin, with a leg length discrepancy, scoliosis, and foot drop? Crazy. Although these symptoms’ precedence in people with cerebral palsy is probably fairly common. The main difference was the fact Ilana was in her 40’s when she got the Cerebral Palsy diagnosis, and I was only 2. Knowing the intervention I had throughout my school life, to think of someone not even knowing why she was different to her twin, or her classmates totally floored me. As a primary school teacher, I am appalled there was no-one who got any support for her.

After the first few chapters about her CP, this book becomes more of a self-help guide, and can be applied by anyone. I have struggled over the years with certain parts of my mental health, and this book was an eye-opener, and has given me a real insight into a different approach. I hope I am able to use the advice in my daily life.”

Fantastic.

A Guide of What's Available for Nintendo's Wii System

If you haven't heard of Nintendo's Wii system, we have just one question for you. Where have you been?! This hot new gaming system made its debut right at the time when Microsoft's new Xbox hit the market. But what makes this system so popular is that it's the first system that incorporates virtual reality in the living room. That, in addition to Nintendo's dedication to producing gaming material for that entire family as opposed to the complex games that we have on the market (for other systems) today.

This article describes some of the accessories and games available that everyone can enjoy.

The Wii System. Welcome back to family fun with this console. For only $249, the entire family can enjoy time's treasured games and physically interact with them using Nintendo's unique wrist-strapped controller. Anyone at any skill level can get in on the fun with this new machine and it comes with a free Wii Sports game cartridge.

Wii Accessories. If you're still "old school" and you prefer to use the classic Nintendo style controller, no need to fret. They're still available and they cost no more than $19.99. But if you can't wait to try out the Wii Remote, get one or two or three at only $40 each. The Wii Nunchuck Controller will run you about $19.99, however both the Nunchuck and Remote controller will give you hours of fun as you swing your way through your favorite games.

Of course, all that gaming could warrant the purchase of the Wii Air cooler ($14.99) or the Wii Charge Station ($29.99). And you certainly don't want to quit a game without saving your place! You can buy a 1GB SD Memory card ($39.99) or 2 GB SD memory card ($59.99) made by SanDisk, and pick up the fun where you left off at a later time.

To make sure your Wii console fits snuggly into the back of your television, you can buy a pack of Wii Component cables for $29.99.

Wii Games. Looking for games? We've separated this part of our guide into two sections: one for children and one for adults. Use caution when purchasing Wii games for players under 18 years of age.

FOR CHILDREN:

Excite Truck.................................................$49.99 Wario Ware: Smooth Moves........................$49.99 Super Paper Mario.......................................$19.99 Bionicle........................................................$49.99 Sonic and the Secret Rings.........................$49.99 Cooking Mama: Cook Off............................$49.99 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07.......................... $49.99

NOTE: Bionicle may not look children friendly at first, but it really is a fun and innocent game that battles and controls a line of toy action figures. It's based on Lego's Bionicle universe. Cooking Mama is rather new to the Nintendo game suite and it challenges young players to prepare more than 300 real recipes from 10 different countries.

FOR ADULTS:

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess......$49.99 Medal of Honor Vangaurd...........................$49.99 The Godfather: Blackhand Edition..............$49.99

COMING SOON: Mario Party 8 Legend of the Dragon Mortal Combat Armageddon Scarface: The World is Yours

NOTE: Legend of the Dragon and Zelda is rated T for Teen. The Godfather, Scarface, and Mortal Combat is rated M for Mature. Both The Godfather and Scarface emulate scenes from their movies and the violence follows with them.. Mortal Combat was designed to appeal to an audience that's, "eager for violence."